Cops call naming rape victim ‘clerical mistake’

A day after revealing the identity of Friday’s Noida gang-rape victim in a press release and the following media outrage, the Noida police on Monday sought to make light of things by calling it a “clerical mistake”.

A day after revealing the identity of Friday’s Noida gang-rape victim in a press release and the following media outrage, the Noida police on Monday sought to make light of things by calling it a “clerical mistake”.

Even as the Uttar Pradesh government ordered a probe into the blunder, the police arrested the fifth accused, Niraj, from a spot near sector 53 in Noida. All the accused were produced in the court and were sent to 14 days’ judicial custody.

On Sunday, the 17-year-old girl, a Class 10 student, alleged five youths raped her in a moving car after forcing her to consume alcohol. After that, not only did the police disclose her identity, it also contradicted the family version, saying the victim knew the accused and consumed alcohol with them willingly.

Superintendent of police Anant Dev even said, “We cannot keep an eye on each and every car in the city.”

Sources in the state government said the Election Commission had asked the Gautam Buddha Nagar district administration and the police to send a report on the issue. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the UP state women's commission also sought a reply from the police. The district will go to polls on Tuesday.

But police sources hinted that at the most a junior officer would face action while seniors would go scot-free although deputy inspector general of police Jyoti Narayan said, “I admit there was a lapse at our end. We are conducting an enquiry. We are sending our replies.”

He said, “Normally, press releases are prepared at the media centre, but on Sunday, the task was given to the sector 24 police station. Revealing the girl’s identity was a clerical mistake. We will take action. As for the statements made by the SP (city), he said they were part of findings, but he should have narrated the victim’s version too.”

Stating that he did not clear the content of the press release, Narayan said, “An inquiry has been ordered as to who prepared the release and how it was released to the press.”